DPP under pressure to go public on Curtin case
With the Government facing a growing political and constitutional crisis following Friday's not-guilty finding against the judge, the focus yesterday shifted onto the respective roles of the DPP's Office and the Garda Síochána in the failed prosecution. They were subjected to withering criticisms from trial judge Carroll Moran in his seven-page judgment directing a not-guilty finding.
The Labour Party yesterday demanded that the DPP, James Hamilton, issue a full public explanation setting out how such a fundamental error was allowed to happen in such a serious and sensitive case.
The party's justice spokesperson, Joe Costello, also called on the Garda Commissioner to launch an inquiry to establish why the gardaí did not execute the search warrant against Judge Curtin until after its seven-day period had expired. He said the findings of the inquiry must also be made public.
Justice Minister Michael McDowell and Attorney General Rory Brady discussed the case and its problematic implications over the weekend ahead of tomorrow's Cabinet meeting which will discuss the controversy.
Last night, Communications Minister Dermot Ahern became the first senior member of the Government to publicly express serious reservations about the prospect of Judge Curtin returning to the Circuit Court bench.
"Personally, there is a grave difficulty in this man's position," he said on RTÉ's The Week in Politics.
His comments were seen as reflecting a widespread view within Government circles this weekend that permitting Judge Curtin to return to judicial duties was neither realistic nor desirable and would lead to public outrage.
Mr Ahern said the Government, the Oireachtas and the judiciary would now have to take stock of the repercussions of the case. One option open to the Government is to move a motion of impeachment against Judge Curtin in both the Dáil and Seanad.
However, Government sources said there was reluctance in pursuing that route because it posed massive legal difficulties.
Opposition parties also said last night they would strongly oppose a severance deal with Judge Curtin, if it included a large financial package. Judge Curtin, 52, could be entitled to a package worth €4 million.
Mr Costello insisted yesterday there must be no question of the State offering Mr Curtin any financial inducement to "go quietly".